Pont Charles-de-Gaulle, Road bridge across the Seine in the 12th and 13th arrondissements, Paris, France
The Pont Charles-de-Gaulle is a road bridge crossing the Seine between the 12th and 13th arrondissements, carrying four traffic lanes on a steel deck. The structure rests on concrete piers topped with conical steel frames that resemble inverted tents supporting the main roadway.
The Council of Paris approved the bridge in 1986 to relieve the Pont d'Austerlitz, link the new Bibliothèque nationale de France with Bercy, and connect the Gare de Lyon and Gare d'Austerlitz. A Europe-wide competition in 1987 selected the design by Louis Arretche and Roman Karasinski. Construction ran from 1993 to 1996.
The bridge connects two major railway stations and serves as a daily passage for commuters moving between the eastern districts. It shapes the river landscape and facilitates access to both transportation hubs on either bank.
Walking and cycling are possible on dedicated paths separated from traffic, making the crossing straightforward for non-drivers. The nearby Gare d'Austerlitz metro station provides convenient access to the wider city from either side of the bridge.
The bridge was designed to carry a driverless SK hectometric shuttle between the Gare de Lyon and the Gare d'Austerlitz, and RATP tested such a shuttle on it in late 2016. The plan was dropped for technical, financial and fare-integration reasons, so the reserved capacity never carried a train.
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